Civilization V Announced, First Screenshots Released

Sid Meier's empire-building strategy series is getting another sequel. Today Firaxis Games announced Civilization V for a Fall 2010 release.

Like other games in the series, Civ 5 will task players with leading a civilization from prehistoric times to the space age. There will be eighteen historical civilization to choose from. The official website promises an improved diplomacy system, massive battles, and "unprecedented modding tools." New community features, such as the ability to share scenarios and compare scores, allow you to stay connected to other players without leaving the game.

Accompanying the announcement are the game's first three screenshots. They can be found below.